The use of tubular or similar frameworks for collapsible or easily disassembled units for use with portable shelters is not new to the art. The prior art illustrates several various forms for such units and these include prior art patents to Nickles, U.S. Pat. No. 1,773,847 and Snouffer, U.S. Pat. No. 1,701,428. These prior art patents illustrate the use of hinged sections for initially collapsing certain portions of the unit but thereafter no provision is made to reduce the height of the collapsed structure. Neither is there a multiplicity of like members to permit any further collapsing of these units other than to bring the sides thereof together. Additional, mult-linkage units such as Thomka, U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,439 and Engle, U.S. Pat. No. 3,501,876 are also shown in the prior art but the formation of the support structures in each of these references include particular joint locking arrangements which rely on additional mechanical devices as compared to the invention as disclosed herein. A patent to Partridge, U.S. Pat. No. 3,559,353 provides a scissors structure but the elements of the scissors are stressed to provide a predetermined shape to the support framework.
Applicant's device provides a simple scissors arrangement to establish a supporting framework when in open position and which permits shifting of the entire framework to provide a package of minimal width with each framework section being in close, side-by-side relation.
The framework as provided herein provides anchoring means for securing the structure to a supporting surface and allows either one such unit to be set up or allows a plurality of such units to be joined in end-to-end relation to provide a continuous shelter unit with the covering thereof allowing a continuous exterior surface between such adjacent units.
The important aspects of the structure disclosed and claimed herein provides for an extremely light weight unit providing a maximum amount of interior covered area and provides such a unit through a simple scissor framework which, due to the design thereof and the interaction of the scissor framework provides a high strength factor.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a collapsible shelter structure incorporating a scissor framework which allows the same to be collapsed into a substantially compact package for transportation thereof.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a collapsible shelter structure having a frontal and rear framework and which front and rear framework are joined through a plurality of longitudinally extending members for not only connecting such framework sections but also providing longitudinal support to a flexible covering which extends over the framework.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a collapsible and portable shelter structure which is designed to permit longitudinal joinder of a plurality of such units and which permits the covering of one of such units to extend over onto the other adjacent unit such that the covering is substantially continuous.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a collapsible shelter structure having a covering over a supporting framework with means for tightening the covering.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide a collapsible shelter structure formed of a plurality of tubular linkage members such that the resulting framework for the same is substantially light in weight while still affording sufficient strength for its intended useage.